The present invention relates to an operating method for a processing machine and to a computer program having machine code which can be processed directly by a control device of a processing machine.
The following discussion of related art is provided to assist the reader in understanding the advantages of the invention, and is not to be construed as an admission that this related art is prior art to this invention.
Processing machines such as numerically controlled machine tools, for example, are used for the automated production of workpieces. The working space which can be reached in principle by the kinematics of the respective machine (essentially the movement range of the axes) is usually restricted due to necessary structural machine components such as, for example, covers, clamping means, etc. The restriction of the freedom of movement must be made known in a suitable form to the control device of the processing machine in order to avoid possible process disruptions such as for example a collision of the tool spindle with a clamping device.
Various methods to protect against collisions are known and in use.
Methods acting mechanically or based on sensors, while easy to realize, have the disadvantage that they do not respond until a collision has occurred. With controller-based solutions, in contrast, it is possible to detect an imminent collision in advance and to prevent the collision.
In mass production scenarios and where there is a high level of automation it is worthwhile, as part of the work preparations, to produce a complete geometric model of the processing machine and to simulate the processing. However, in smaller batch production runs or where the machinery is more frequently retooled by hand this is a purely manual operation. The mounting situation and the other areas exposed to a risk of collision must be checked by the user of the processing machine and parameterized in the controller. This can be accomplished for example by entering coordinates for software limit switches in a table.
Partially automated methods are also known in which the working space is measured by means of optical sensors and mapped into a data model. Laser scanners and/or image recognition systems for example are used for methods of said kind. A disadvantageous aspect of this approach are the high costs for lasers, camera, etc., as well as the extremely computationally intensive and in many cases unreliable evaluation of the optically acquired data.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to obviate prior art shortcomings and to provide an improved, simple and intuitive way to subdivide the movement range into a permitted and a prohibited movement range